Germination surprises

salix · April 29, 2014

Have you planted any seed whose germination surprised you? I decided to plant just a few extra cabbage seed, and chose 'Parel', which was dated 2004. Sowed 10 seeds on 25 April and today, just 2 and a half days later eight have germinated. Not bad for 10 year old seed, and just goes to show you it's always worth a try! All my seeds are kept dry, and spend some time in my cold room, but I must confess they spend several months at regular room temperature as well...

Irv Wiseguy · April 29, 2014

Yes, but my experience wasn't a rousing success!

A few years ago I saved seeds from a tomato variety called Fond Red Mini. I planted one of the saved seeds and it germinated, but the plant looked smaller than a normal tomato seedling. I kept it going and it never did look right. When it flowered it had small white flowers that didn't produce fruit.

I have no idea what I grew or how it came to be from a saved tomato seed.

Irv

Darren Abbey · April 29, 2014

Two years ago I planted some 19 year old Serrano chili seeds, from dried pods I had prepared in high-school. Most every seed germinated quickly. I was expecting some to survive, but not most.

HydroExplorer · April 30, 2014

Yesterday I planted all of my wintergreen seeds. Today I learned that they require cold stratification and I don't know which cells have the wintergreen seeds.

Surprise.

As for seeds lasting a long time. A master gardener once told me that it's good to keep your seeds in a cigar box to keep them dry. I've been doing that and have been getting fairly decent germination on seeds 2-4 years old.

April 29, 2014	#1
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	Germination surprises Have you planted any seed whose germination surprised you? I decided to plant just a few extra cabbage seed, and chose 'Parel', which was dated 2004. Sowed 10 seeds on 25 April and today, just 2 and a half days later eight have germinated. Not bad for 10 year old seed, and just goes to show you it's always worth a try! All my seeds are kept dry, and spend some time in my cold room, but I must confess they spend several months at regular room temperature as well... __________________ "He who has a library and a garden wants for nothing." -Cicero

April 29, 2014	#2
Irv Wiseguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Thousand Oaks, CA Posts: 281	Yes, but my experience wasn't a rousing success! A few years ago I saved seeds from a tomato variety called Fond Red Mini. I planted one of the saved seeds and it germinated, but the plant looked smaller than a normal tomato seedling. I kept it going and it never did look right. When it flowered it had small white flowers that didn't produce fruit. I have no idea what I grew or how it came to be from a saved tomato seed. Irv

April 29, 2014	#3
Darren Abbey Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 586	Two years ago I planted some 19 year old Serrano chili seeds, from dried pods I had prepared in high-school. Most every seed germinated quickly. I was expecting some to survive, but not most.

April 30, 2014	#4
HydroExplorer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 132	Yesterday I planted all of my wintergreen seeds. Today I learned that they require cold stratification and I don't know which cells have the wintergreen seeds. Surprise. As for seeds lasting a long time. A master gardener once told me that it's good to keep your seeds in a cigar box to keep them dry. I've been doing that and have been getting fairly decent germination on seeds 2-4 years old.